Town centre police team will move to new home in prestige Barnsley retail centre

A double policing boost is planned for Barnsley town centre with officers covering the area due to move into new accommodation at the landmark Glassworks shopping centre and fresh arrangements which will see up to ten extra officers a day providing an additional presence on the streets.

New home: South Yorkshire Police will move into Barnsley's Glassworks development

The police town centre team is currently based in offices at Westgate, between the main police station and Barnsley town hall, but the council is currently overhauling the old Metropolitan centre and that will include office space which will provide a fresh base for the team – moving them into the heart of the town centre.

Barnsley’s town centre policing is partly funded by the council and the new accommodation helps to cement that arrangement, putting officers where they are most likely to be required and where they will provide the most instant presence to reassure the public and deter criminals.

Police presence in the town centre will be boosted further by a decision to assess tutor constables from the same base.

That means up to ten inexperienced officers each day of assessments will be sent out to work in the area, so their performance can be monitored.

Sign up to our daily newsletter

The i newsletter cut through the noise

Thanks, {{email}} has been added to our newsletter.
If this is the first time you have subscribed to emails from JPIMedia Ltd, the publishers of The Star, please check your inbox to verify your email address.

Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later.

Submitting...

From the public’s perspective, it will mean an increasingly policing presence in an area which has previously been a source of concern with problems such as ‘spice’ users being left virtually unconscious after using the drug in areas where shoppers mingle.

Details of the changes were presented to South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, at a meeting of his Public Accountability Board, where the South Yorkshire force is held to account.

Barnsley’s police commander, Chief Supt Scott Green, told the meeting: “The council has offered up space within it, to move the town centre neighbourhood team into the centre.

“We have also decided to move the student officer assessment unit into the building.

“Student officers will be assessed on the streets of Barnsley. On an average day we should see ten officers on foot patrol in the town centre. We feel it is really valuable in terms of visibility.

“The offer of accommodation came from the council. We have been having discussions for some time, so when the new building is finished we will be happy to move in,” he said.

Sign up to our daily newsletter

The i newsletter cut through the noise

Thanks, {{email}} has been added to our newsletter.
If this is the first time you have subscribed to emails from JPIMedia Ltd, the publishers of The Star, please check your inbox to verify your email address.